The present invention relates to a method that makes use of the effects of cavitation for changing the qualitative and quantitative composition of a mixture of liquid hydrocarbons. The method can find application in oil processing, petroleum chemistry, and organic synthesis chemistry for producing a variety of fuels, man-made fibers, synthetic alcohols, detergents, rubber-like materials, and plastics.
At present, there are a number of methods in widespread use for changing the qualitative and quantitative composition of a mixture of liquid hydrocarbons used in oil refining.
Oil is essentially a complex composition of closely boiling hydrocarbons and high-molecular hydrocarbon compounds. Oil is the main source for producing all kinds of liquid fuels, such as, gasoline, kerosene, diesel and boiler fuel oil, as well as liquified gases and raw stock for chemical production processes.
Oil processing is carried out with the use of diverse production techniques initiating the chemical transformation of hydrocarbons, which results in changing the qualitative and quantitative composition of a mixture of liquid hydrocarbons.
To this end, there is the extensive use of the cracking process of splitting long-chain hydrocarbons into shorter molecules occurring in the presence of catalysts (catalytic cracking), or by heating hydrocarbons to a temperature range of 500-700.degree. C. under pressure (thermal cracking). Numerous reactions proceed during the cracking process, such as breaking of the carbon bond, redistribution of hydrogen, aromatization, isomerization, breaking and rearrangement of hydrocarbon rings, condensation, and polymerization. Cracking of oil derivatives allows to obtain mixtures of low-boiling hydrocarbons (i.e., gasoline) from high-boiling point hydrocarbons. Unsaturated hydrocarbons resulting from the cracking process find widespread application in the organic synthesis industry.
The catalytic cracking process makes use of alumosilicate catalysts based on zeolites and occurs at a temperature range of 450-550.degree. C. and at a pressure range of 0.1-0.3 MPa.
The catalytic cracking process is used for producing motorfuels and raw stock for petrochemistry. Catalytic reforming is used extensively for increasing the anti-knock properties of gasoline and producing aromatic hydrocarbons (benzene, toluene, xylene). The process is carried out at a temperature range of 480-520.degree. C. and at a pressure range of 1.2-4.0 MPa in the presence of hydrogen and a catalyst.
One of the methods for changing the qualitative and quantitative composition of hydrocarbons is hydrocracking aimed at producing light oils (gasoline, kerosene, diesel fuel). Hydrocracking is conducted at a temperature range of 370-450.degree. C. and at a pressure range of 15-20 MPa in the presence of bifunctional catalysts.
The aforementioned methods for changing the qualitative and quantitative composition of a mixture of hydrocarbons are performed at rather high temperature and high pressure levels in the presence of hydrogen and catalysts which need continuous regeneration during operation. These methods discussed above are highly expensive and energy consuming.